


Steven Universe Farther Into The Future Episode 21: Training and Relaxation

by LMasterm1nd



Series: Steven Universe Farther into the Future [24]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Amusement Parks, F/F, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Long-Distance Relationship, Martial Arts, Original Character(s), Restaurants, Rumors, Training
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:08:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25836265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LMasterm1nd/pseuds/LMasterm1nd
Summary: Our heroes take a well deserved break after an earlier incident. Lapis, meanwhile, goes to accept training from another older Lapis.
Relationships: Amethyst/Garnet/Pearl (Steven Universe), Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe, Garnet/Ruby/Sapphire (Steven Universe), Greg Universe & Steven Universe, Lapis Lazuli/Peridot (Steven Universe), Lars Barriga/Emerald, Mystery Girl/Pearl (Steven Universe)
Series: Steven Universe Farther into the Future [24]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1607287
Kudos: 10





	1. Lapis's Training Begins

It had been a week since GKG 001 Gemivore attacked Beach City. It had eaten many gems, some of those gems had families. So, Steven, his family, The Crystal Gems, have decided to take it easy the next few days and so did Beach City. Though some families were still in mourning, others knew they had to move on, things were quiet but slowly getting back to how they used to be, even though things would never be quite the same. The morning started off peacefully in Little Homeworld. Peridot had noticed that Lapis was silent for a while. "Lapis? Are you alright? You've been silent for days now, and I'm worried" Peridot said. "If I was like that other lapis from the other day..." Lapis grumbled. "Lapis?" "I could have stopped that thing if I was as strong as that other lapis!" Lapis snapped "Those gems, they didn't have to die!" "Lapis, I understand you're upset but..." Peridot stammered. Lapis had already had her wings summoned "Another thing like that could come at any time, I wannabe ready for when it does, I have to go Peridot" Lapis said as she took off. "Lapis waaaait!" Peridot cried in vain.

Meanwhile at the Universe Household, Steven and his son Piers were working on a modelling kit from his favourite giant robot anime. He may not be that avid of an anime fan, but Piers was into mechs. "Man, it's been ages since we last did this together" Steven commented. "Yeah, it has been, sorry about that, Dad" Piers said. "Hey, no need to apologize, I'm happy for you, you have your own thing going, friends, a career, a girlfriend, you're quite accomplished for your age and I couldn't be prouder of you, son" Steven said. "Wow, you really mean that, Dad?" Piers asked. "Of course I do, have I ever lied to you?" Steven responded. "Well, there was Santa Claus, The Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny all of whom turned out to be not real...unless you account for the fact that the myths about Santa Clause were based off of the actions of Grandma Rose during the early 1500s" Piers pointed out. "Hey, those weren't bad lies, besides, you're lucky you got to live with those lies, Pearl kept me in reality...and robbed me of what could have been a sense of magic and mystery in my early childhood" Steven grumbled.

* * *

A few miles north of Beach City on a farmland, a farmer noticed Lapis flying overhead. "Hey, excuse me miss!" The Farmer called up "You here to see my wife? She's a Lapis Lazuli like you." "Does this Lapis have yellow hair? Taller than other Lapises? Has a blindfold over her eyes?" Lapis asked. The Farmer nodded "She's way out at the other end of the farm, tending to the sheep" The Farmer said, pointing to his right. Lapis followed the farmer's directions and saw the Blonde Lapis, sheering some sheep. "There you are, I bet you're happy to have all that wool off on a hot day like today" Blonde Lapis said she she turned off her electric wool clipper. The Sheep happily nudged her in response. Blonde Lapis had always been gentle when she tended to the livestock, in fact, she was quite popular among the livestock because of her gentleness. "Oh Wilbur, you're such a suck up" Blonde Lapis said to the sheep. "Um, Excuse me" said Lapis trying to get the other Lapis's attention.

"Oh, it's you, welcome, I take it you wish to take me up on my offer?" Blonde Lapis asked "I had heard about what happened in town the other day, but only long after the damage had been done..." "I want to do the things you can do, like control the weather, if I had even an iota of what your power is, I could have stopped it" Lapis explained. "Very well, but as I told you before, this will not be easy, to unlock the true capability buried within all second generation Lapis Lazuli, it will require much self discipline, understood" Blonde Lapis warned. "Good, before we begin you're training, we'll start with helping me out with farm work" Blonde Lapis said "Hard work is a great way to learn self discipline." "I've done farm work before, before Little Homeworld was built, me and Peridot had grown all sorts of vegetables" Lapis said. "Have you ever taken care of livestock before?" Blonde Lapis asked.

"Livestock?" Lapis asked. "That's farm talk for animals" Blonde Lapis said. "Oh, you mean like those sheep?" Lapis asked. "Yep, now grab a pair of clippers, we gotta finish off sheering the sheep" Blonde Lapis ordered. "Oh, that doesn't sound so bad" Lapis said. "Then we got to collect up the manure from the cows" Blonde Lapis said. "Manure? What's that?" Lapis asked. "It's what used to be the cow's food" Blonde Lapis causally explained. "You mean it's their...eewww, what could you possibly be doing with that?" Lapis asked. "It makes for great fertilizer" Blonde Lapis said. "You mean...that's what me and Peridot had been putting on our plants' soil to help them grow!?" Lapis exclaimed. "Hmph, city gems..." Blonde Lapis grumbled. 

Throughout the day, Lapis had been helping her instructor with all the farm work, she was amazed at how much work went into operating a farm, it was nothing like what she and Peridot did. "Well, you've done good work" Blonde Lapis said "you look exhausted, why not come in and take a break?" "Sure...that sounds good" Lapis said. Lapis followed her instructor into the farmhouse. It was nice and cosy in there, Lapis noticed that Blonde Lapis was putting a teabag into a cup and pouring water into it, she than gave the cup to Lapis. "Aren't you going to boil it first?" Lapis asked. "When you control water at a molecular level, applying heat to water requires no heat source" Blonde Lapis said. "Say, for someone who's blind, you sure operate like you can see clearly" Lapis commented. "It's the water molecules, I use them as my eyes, Earth's surface is seventy one percent water, needless to say, there are more water molecules than there are lifeforms on Earth, right now there are thousands all over you" Blonde Lapis said. "Really, I haven't noticed" Lapis said in surprise. "During your training you'll learn to notice them."

End of Chapter 


	2. The Ghost of Delmarva High

Lapis had continued throughout the day doing menial farm chores with Blonde Lapis, she had never felt this exhausted since...ever. "How long do we have to do this?" Lapis asked. "Until nightfall and my family is asleep" Blonde Lapis "The anger I sensed in you should be gone by then..." "Anger?" Lapis asked. "Being able to control water at a molecular level can unlock a tapestry of new capabilities for you, but acting out of anger can cause unspeakable collateral damage" Blonde Lapis said "If you're not careful you may harm the ones you try to protect." Lapis grew silent at that "So, I should just not be angry at anything?" Lapis asked. "No, the purpose of this training is to help you learn to control your emotions in a healthy manner, not rid yourself of them entirely" Blonde Lapis explained "emotions make us who we are, It's okay to be happy, sad, even angry or frustrated, but it's those last two emotions you need to control, channel them, lest they cloud your judgement." At that moment, Lapis thought of Peridot, Bismuth, Steven and the others. She remembered how Blonde Lapis was able to have a raincloud disperse at here mere will, Blonde Lapis had a point and she did feel less upset since she started doing farm work, maybe, just maybe, there is a point to all this.

* * *

Meanwhile at Delmarva High, Rose was hanging out at the library before her next class, she found an old journal that belonged to an old student, dating back to when her mother was a teenager. It was full of mysteries about the school. The Librarian noticed what Rose was reading. "Oh, hey, I remember these" He commented "these rumours are still active, mostly with the janitors who work here after hours." "Really?! So, have any of them ever been solved?" Rose asked. "Nope, not to this day, and I've been trying to figure out what had been causing everything, the slime that slithers out of the vents every night, the eerie moans at midnight and those strange lights down the hall at nightfall" The librarian said "I am sure there is a logical explanation behind all of them, no matter what the stories of this school's past are." "This school's past?" Rose asked, intrigued. 

"Well, before the school was built, there was an old hospital that got shut down due to the unethical experiments being performed there by the head physician who owned it" The Librarian explained "and all the goings on after hours are caused by the ghosts of that psycho doctor's victims, some versions of the story even say that the ghost haunting this school after hours is none other than the ghost of the doctor himself!" "There are ghosts...here, at this school?...That...is...AWESOME!" Rose cheered, but was answered by a whole of of shushes by fellow students. "Of course, this is mere poppycock, I hold firm on my beliefs that there is a logical explanation, and I know that tonight for sure, I will solve it!" The Librarian declared, who like Rose, also got shushed. "Can I help?" Rose asked "I'd like to see a ghost." "Hmmm...well...I suppose my last few attempts I was alone, and besides, you can go into places I can't, like the girls washroom" The Librarian answered. "The uh, girls washroom?" Rose asked. "Yes, even though I am here after hours and I know for sure nobody will be in there, I still wouldn't dare go into the girls washroom, I do have moral standards I like to uphold after all" The Librarian said. "Well, I commend you for that, but what does the girls washroom have to do with the school mysteries?" Rose corrected herself. 

"Well you see, there have been sightings of the School Ghost in the girls washroom, and being to respectful of the fairer sex to go in there, I've never seen it before, but with you helping me, the mystery will be solved" The Librarian said. "Wow, so I really can come? Thanks Mr. What" Rose said with an excited whisper. "*ahem* That's Professor What, to you, young lady" The Librarian corrected her. "You're a professor? Then why are you in a high school or better yet, why are you working in a high school library? Aren't professors a college thing?" Rose asked. "Th-they are?" The Librarian answered "Err...I'm sure you must be mistaken" "No, I should know, my mom was a professor before she was promoted to head of the School of Poli Sci at the University" Rose said. "Oh, I uh see, well, see you tonight" The Librarian said before rushing into his office

Rose couldn't hear him clearly but she could hear him stammering. "Professors are only at colleges and universities? Since when!? Oh, that long huh? Well, I guess the last human professor I encountered was Socrates" she faintly heard. "Wait, could this guy be a gem? or a Gembuster...? I better call on either Auntie Amethyst or Garnet, there could be trouble" Rose pondered.

Later at the lunch room Rose was telling Selena about her plans for tonight. "This sounds like a conspiracy theory...sort of like the type that Mr. Ronaldo guy would subscribe to" Selena cautioned. "Well not to worry, The Librarian sees these rumours as "poppycock" as he puts it, he wants to prove them false, besides, didn't you say you wanted to see a ghost once?" Rose argued. "I did...you know what? Screw it, let's do this" Selena said. "I knew I could count on you, Selena" Rose commended her girlfriend "oh and I also want to keep an eye out on that librarian anyway, I think he might be a Gembuster."

* * *

After School, Piers got home and talked with his father about his plans for tonight. It had been a few days since Alice moved to the next town over and tonight he was invited to her new house for dinner. He wanted to make a good first impression on Alice's mother. He had never met Alice's mother before, even back when she was still living in Beach City with her now ex-husband Ronaldo. Alice and Piers were in different classes, they hadn't met until they were in middle school together.

Steven lent Piers the keys to his car. His father's car was literally several decades old but it worked like brand new, he had once asked his father how he managed to keep it in such good condition, Steven simply said "Nothing a good ol' healing spit-shine can't fix"

End of Chapter 


	3. Evening Training

At the farm, Lapis's day of hard work was finished, Blonde Lapis invited her to dinner with her family. Blonde Lapis noticed the sound of her stepdaughter's school bus rolling in. She quickly flew in its direction as the seven year old hopped off the bus. "Sarah, how as school today?" Blonde Lapis asked. "Great! We're going to have a field trip next week!" Sarah replied. "Well, just leave your permission slip on the counter and I'll be sure to sign it before I get dinner started" Blonde Lapis instructed. "Okay!" Sarah replied as she excitedly ran inside. "So, that was your daughter?" Lapis asked. "Stepdaughter, actually, she was only a baby when I met Bob" Blonde Lapis. Lapis couldn't help but giggle slightly, remembering the nickname Steven gave her. 

"So, does she know you're not her real mother?" Lapis continued. "Oh yes, her father told her the truth when she was five, but she had already accepted me as a mother figure" Blonde Lapis said "just like how I have accepted her as if she were my own child." "I think I understand that, me and Lapis once helped take care of someone small" Lapis commented. "Oh, really? Who?" Blonde Lapis asked. "Well, you're not going to believe this, but, well...you know Steven Universe?" "Yes, I do" "Yeah, well, me and Peridot knew him back when he was a kid" Lapis continued "and this one time, he had created a sentient pumpkin which me and Peridot befriended...he sort of passed on long ago, though, not a day goes by where we don't miss him a little..." "Yes, organic life doesn't last long, I don't imagine how I'll be able to deal with it when Bob and Sarah pass on, hopefully Sarah will have children of her own one day, and her children have children and so on..." Blonde Lapis lamented "with their lifespans so short, I don't know why I grow attached to them...but I can't help it, I just do." "I guess we aren't so different, are we?" Lapis said. "Come on, let us go inside, take a break before the real training begins" Blonde Lapis invited. 

"Hello Bob, how was the Farmers Market?" Blonde Lapis asked as she came in. "Not too bad, we nearly sold out, them tomatoes are once again our hottest item, all thanks to you" Bob commented "so, this other Lapis staying' for dinner?" "Yes, I hope that is alright" Blonde Lapis requested. "Doesn't bother me, welcome to our humble home" Bob said, giving Lapis a firm handshake. "Thank you so much, I've actually been in here earlier today when your wife offered to give me a break" Lapis admitted. "Ah, put you to work did she? That's my Lapis for ya, she's about as dedicated to this farm as I am" Bob said with. chuckle "If it weren't for her and her weather magic, this farm would have been foreclosed long ago, darn saved my livelihood, she did." "How did that happen?" Lapis asked. "Around six years ago, there was a terrible drought, it was killing the crops, the animals, they were getting sluggish, and it was hard enough keeping this farm running, didn't have enough to hire one farm hand not to mention Sarah's mother had passed away, leaving me to look after her on my lonesome" Bob explained "Then one day, my Lappy, she came passing by and then, with a wave of her hand, In came an individual rain cloud, showering my fields with a much needed rain, never expected that passerby to become my second wife, but well, here we are."

"Hey, Mom, who's that? She kind of looks like a skinnier you" Sarah asked. "Oh, well, she's another Lapis Lazuli, like me, she's visiting so I can give her a few lessons" Blonde Lapis explained. "What kind of things are you teaching her?" Sarah asked. "How to control clouds like she can" Lapis butted in. 

* * *

Steven was setting the table, both of their older kids were out of the house, so he decided to make tonight special for himself and Connie, he knew the babies and his dad were still there but none of that mattered to him. "Well look at this, been a long time since I last seen that tablecloth being used" Connie commented. A couple of years ago, when her and Steven were still living in that small Empire City Apartment, It had been the first day after inviting him to live with her, she had come home to find that Steven had done some shopping and cooked a nice meal for her as thanks for letting him live there with her, and that tablecloth had been the very tablecloth he used that night.

Greg noticed the nice spread his son was putting out. "Man, that looks good, but I've already had the early bird dinner special over at The Diner. You planning a special evening for you and Connie?" Greg asked. "Yep, it's not too often, Rose and Piers are off doing their own thing, I figured, why not?" Steven explained. "Hey, if you don't finish it all, I'm more than happy to make sure there are no leftovers" Amethyst offered "seriously, you're cooking has really improved ever since you first came back to Beach City."

* * *

Lapis had enjoyed a nice meal with Blonde Lapis and her family, and not too long after, Blonde Lapis's husband and stepdaughter were ready to go to bed. Bob liked to go to bed early so that he could get up just in time for sunrise, farming was hard work. Blonde Lapis lead Lapis out into the field, making sure Lapis stayed quiet as to not disturb Blonde Lapis's family's sleep. "Alright, we will make for that cloud up there, then we will begin training" Blonde Lapis instructed, taking off into the sky. Lapis followed her up into the sky and saw a cloud that was shaped like a dojo. "I had been preparing this cloud as we ate" Blonde Lapis said "come on in."

Lapis flew into the dojo and noticed that Blonde Lapis had put her wings away and was actually standing on the clouds. "How are you...?" Lapis asked. "I told you, controlling water at a molecular level can open up the gate to many abilities you don't even know you have" Blonde Lapis said "but before we do anything, put this on." Blonde Lapis handed Lapis a blindfold. "In order to control water molecules, you must first learn to detect them, to feel them" Blonde Lapis. "But molecules are so tiny, nobody can feel them" Lapis argued. "Which is why great focus is required to learn what I am about to teach you, cutting off one sense strengthens the others in order to compensate" Blonde Lapis said "but even that won't be enough to feel them, so concentrate, make it so you can! I will hurl many molecules at you, until they envelope your body, this phase of the training will end when you can detect at least one" Blonde Lapis than placed the blindfold over Lapis's eyes. She had to hand it to her, this blindfold was very well made, Lapis couldn't see anything. "Now, relax, relax and focus, I am throwing the first molecule, you will not feel it right away, but it will make an impact on your body" Blonde Lapis said. Lapis simply relaxed, it was easy to do so too, after all the hard work she had done today, this was a cakewalk, but she couldn't take this training lightly, she was doing this for Peridot and everyone in Beach City. 

"Can you feel anything yet?" Blonde Lapis asked. "No, just the wind" Lapis said. "Well, don't force it, you will feel the molecules eventually, patience will reward you" Blonde Lapis said in an encouraging tone. 

End of Chapter 


	4. Eerie Evening

At the high school, Rose, Selena and Garnet arrived to await for the eccentric librarian who's apparently a professor of some sort. Suddenly, the lid to a recycling bin opened up. "G-g-g-ghost!" Rose cried. "Ghost? Where!? Let me analyze it!...Oh, it's you, hello!" The Librarian said from inside the recycling bin. "Oh, it's just you Mr. What" Rose said. "Professor! It's Professor What!" Professor What commented. "Okay, okay, jeez" Rose responded. "That's not the librarian" Selena said "The librarian's on vacation, The Library Club's been running the library." "Hey, wait a minute...Selena, you're right! I totally forgot...but if that's true...then who are you!?" Rose said, pointing at the librarian. Professor What then sighed "I guess I can't keep up this charade any longer, alright you got me, I'll come clean" The Professor replied "I am not a librarian, I'm not even from around here, but what I said about the school rumours are true!" "We're listening..." Rose said suspiciously.

"I am but a drifter, I am merely a professor in name only, my hobby is solving mysteries, and this planet is chock full of them" Professor What explained "In any case when I first rolled into town, I saw some janitors quitting, talking about a ghost haunting this place and that rumours were true about this school...being a lover of unsolved mysteries, this grabbed my curiosity, and so I decided to look into this, spoke to some former students, teachers and the like, and when first paying a visit to the school, I overheard the principal speaking with the superintendent about how they might close down the school by the start of summer because the rumours of a ghost had become more well known thanks to the advent of the internet, and reports of student's being harmed." "Close down the school at the end of the school year!?" Rose exclaimed "I mean, I do graduate next month...but what about my Brother?! He's only in his second year!" "Yeah, now that you mention it, I did hear the parent teacher council talking about hiring some sort of exorcist due to the potential danger to the students" Selena added. "And that's precisely why it is paramount that this mystery be solved" Professor What concluded "I know that there must be some logical explanation for this, and I will find out what!" 

The Professor took out the keys too the school and unlocked the door "Would you believe the janitors leave these things just hanging on a hook?" The Prof. said. "Uh, Professor...what were you doing in that recycling bin?" Selena asked. "Oh, I live there!" The Professor said. "Why did you say that like it's a completely normal thing?" Rose asked. "Never mind that, we gots ourselves the existence of a ghost to disprove" The Professor said. Before the professor could follow the girls into the school, but Garnet stopped him. "Just a moment of your time...you've omitted parts of the truth, I'd like to know the full story" Garnet said "your body may be human...but you are not of this earth." "Alright, fine you got me, I'm not human, but I mean you, those girls and this planet no harm" The Professor admitted. "I believe you. I don't foresee you trying to harm me, Rose or Selena, but I'd like to know why you're on this planet" Garnet demanded. "I was not lying when I said I am a lover of unsolved mysteries, and this planet is choke full of them, like I previously stated, you gems aren't the only alien lifeforms to set foot on this planet, let alone make contact with humans, for some reason this planet seems to be a magnet for lifeforms and other such phenomena the likes of which you couldn't comprehend" The Professor explained. "Your answer is acceptable" Garnet said, letting the professor go. 

* * *

In the skies above the farm, Lapis was sitting in a meditative position, trying her best to concentrate on feeling a single molecule. "What do I do if I feel one?" Lapis asked. "Simply tell me where you feel it and I will let you know if you are correct" Blonde Lapis instructed "so, feel anything yet?" "No..." Lapis sighed. "Do not fret over it, this takes time, through patience you can preserver."

"I feel something on my left cheek" Lapis said. "No...close, but no...you only pass if you feel a molecule exactly where a molecule is located" Blonde Lapis said. "Wouldn't this be easier in the ocean? I mean, it's a body of water" Lapis asked. "It would...but up here, in the clouds, this is where I first emerged, where I learned to control water molecules" Blonde Lapis explained "I emerged from some sort of hovering device in Homeworld's skies, surrounded by clouds, I had nothing back then, you might say I was pretty much bare to the world...but for some reason I could control water from a molecular level, it is here where a first gen Lazuli like me could gain the abilities I have, I figured it'd be the same for you." "My nose, it is really small and insignificant but I can feel something on my nose" Lapis interrupted. "That is...correct, good I guess we can move on to step two" Blonde Lapis commented

* * *

"So, you three, we arrive at the first mystery, the green slime!" Professor What said pointing at the green slime coming out of the vent. "Hmm..." mumbled Garnet as she approached the slime. She took out her hand and touched the slime. "Garnet, don't touch that, eeeew!" Rose and Selena said at the same time. Garnet caught a glob of the slime on her finger and licked it. "Are you seriously licking that? You could get sick!" Professor What warned. "I'm a gem, we don't get sick...besides, this tastes like green apple..." Garnet said as she ripped off the vent covering and used the light of one of her gems to light up the vent. "Here's the problem, melted gummy candy" Garnet pointed out, grabbing a yellow box labeled: Green Apple Puppies. "Oh my gosh, I remembered those" Rose said "my favourite gummy candy! It's a shame it's been discontinued, I remember during my freshwoman year, Mr. Dewey at the Big Donut giving me the last ever box, but I couldn't bring it home, because mom and dad would hide it somewhere, they never let me have too much sugar for some reason..." "I know the reason..." Garnet interrupted. "In any case" Rose continued "I put it in my backpack and bought it to school, I wasn't allowed to bring edible items into my locker, so I hid it in...the vent...and I guess I...forgot about them..."

Everyone was giving Rose an annoyed stare. "Well...the green slime was a fairly recent mystery... but now to solve the next mystery..." The Professor said "The moaning down the hall..." and as if on cue, the moaning started down the hall....

End of Chapter 


	5. Ghosts Are Real and Learning How to Control Clouds

"I think it is time we learn the next step...controlling clouds" Blonde Lapis said "but a little warning first, controlling clouds and by extension of course, the weather is something you must be really careful with, this planet has weather patterns that shouldn't be disrupted too much, a tiny individual raincloud, probably won't do too much, but just don't do anything too drastic, lest you're prepared to subjugate people in other parts of this planet to the aftermath." "Makes sense, I kind of learned all about Earth's ecosystems over my time here" Lapis admitted "but hearing it from you really hammers it in, have you been sent here before me?" "No, but I have been to many planets during my time in the Homeworld Underground." "Homeworld Underground...wasn't that the former crime organization run by that ruby that talks funny?" Lapis asked. "Yes, I was part of their inner circle, I was in charge of one of their blind spots...the blind spots were sort of like that new club The Don had opened recently." "Do you miss it?" Lapis asked. "I made a lot of good friends there, but I prefer what I have now, I don't work for any diamond or boss, instead I work together with someone I love, nothing to hide from, nothing to bow down too...I am proud of my time in The Underground, but I wouldn't give up what I have now, not for anything."

"In any case" said Blonde Lapis getting back on topic "we'll start your cloud control by now learning to move the molecule that you are currently feeling, try moving it towards me, I'll tell you if you're doing it."

* * *

The moaning got louder and louder as the group continued down the hall. "Th-this is getting creepy, are you sure there's no such thing as ghosts, Professor?" Selena asked. "I am indeed sure, ghosts are common superstitions, I mean there was that one exception when I visited Queens Park in Toronto or Hogtown as it's often referred" Professor What answered "but I know for sure this one isn't, I mean that mysterious green slime was merely melted candy." "My sweetest last ever box of Green Apple Puppies...never even enjoyed" Rose lamented. "You truly are Steven's daughter, Rose, through and through" Garnet commented.

"Hush now, I believe I may have found the source of the noise" Professor What interrupted "It's coming from the basement, you two girls have been at this school longer than I have, which stairwell can take us to the basement?" "There's only one and it's for staff only" Selena answered "we actually passed one corridor back." "Brilliant, let us retrace our steps back to that basement entrance!" Professor What declared. The group went back the way they came and went to a steel door that read "Staff Only". The Professor tried turning the doorknob, but the door wouldn't open. "Oh fffff...fiddlesticks...It's locked" The Professor said "and I don't have the key to open this door I'm afraid...only to open the school, luckily I have bought a device for just such an occasion." "Oooh! Is it a high tech door opening thingy!?" Rose asked excitedly. "An old archaic device that's been around since the invention of the lock, ladies, I give you...The Lock Pick!" The Professor announced, taking out a small metal stick. "A measly old lock pick? Booo!" Rose pouted. "Now, now my dear Rose, I've come to learn that sometimes the simplest solution is the correct one...now...do any of you three know how to use a lock pick?" The Professor asked. 

Garnet took the lock pick from the professor and opened the door rather quickly. Everyone proceeded down the stairs into the basement where the moaning was at it's loudest. The Professor signalled for everyone to be quiet as to investigate where the sound was coming from. "I think it's coming from the boiler room..." Professor What whispered. Everyone nodded in response and quietly tip toed to the boiler room door. The Professor gripped the door to the boiler room and opened it, and what was in there was a huge boiler and a sobbing man in a sleeping bag. "What the hell?" Everyone said in unison. The man in the sleeping bag jumbled out of his sleeping bag in response. "Principal Franklin...what are you doing here?" Rose and Selena asked in unison. "Okay, you got me...I live here!" The Principal said. "What?" Everyone answered in unison. "The truth is, around twenty years ago, my mother kicked me out of the house...but real estate in this town is terrible, so I decided to live down here in the boiler room, it keeps me warm during the winter" The principal admitted "I usually cry in my sleep just remembering my mother's constant criticisms of everything I do and how my brother runs a better school and now this ghost business..." "So the moaning heard at night was you...so...there is no ghost!" Professor What concluded "Mystery solved!" 

After explaining the whole situation to the principal, everyone had a good laugh. "Wow, this was all kind of intense, so there was no ghost after all, what a relief...speaking of which, I gotta use the bathroom real quick" Selena said "just wait for me at the entrance when you're finished up in here." Selena then quickly rushed out the door and back upstairs. "Well that ends that" Professor What said. "Yeah...but I can't help but feel that there's something we forgot...something important..." Rose interrupted. "You know, now that you mention it...there may very well be something we forgot...but what?...what?" Professor What agreed. Just then, they heard Selena shriek upstairs. "The Girl's Bathroom!" Everyone screamed. "What about it!?" The Principal asked. "No time to explain, you stay down here where you're safe!" Garnet demanded. 

Selena ran out of the bathroom towards Rose. "Gh-gh-ghost!" Selena stuttered. Out of the door came a glowing white disfigured figure...no matter how you dice it, it was a ghost...

* * *

"Say, weren't you supposed to teach me how to control clouds after feeling that molecule?" Lapis asked. "Indeed, but in order to control the clouds you must control the water molecule, controlling one allows you to control them all, now try again" Blonde Lapis instructed. Lapis thrust her arms forward, trying to get this one little beyond microscopic molecule to move. "Just relax, Lapis, you can't force it, you gotta remain calm, keep calm, eventually you can get it right" Blonde Lapis said "you've already moved it one 8th of an Inch from your face, and for something as small as a molecule, an 8th of an inch is quite a long way" 

"I know, but still, I want to do this, I want to protect Peridot, and every one of my friends on earth, I have to do this!" Lapis shouted, struggling to get the molecule to make contact with Blond Lapis. "I understand that, but trying to force it won't help" Blonde Lapis "the progress you made may be small but it's still significant even if you can't see it for yourself, right now you are doing things an ordinary Lapis Lazuli shouldn't be capable of...how about we take a break?" "NO! I must do this, you weren't there, I was powerless to do anything, I've never been this powerless" Lapis snapped, still trying to move the molecule, which was now moving sporadically without Lapis's notice. Blonde Lapis began noticing that the clouds beneath Lapis's feet began shifting. "Lapis...I understand but..." Blonde Lapis tried to interject. "No! You don't understand! I saw gems get eaten, without even being poofed first, I saw their faces in pain before their forms destabilized! All because I couldn't do anything!" Lapis shouted "They didn't have to die...if I wasn't so...so..." Lapis lost her train of thought as the very memory of those one hundred gems being killed before her eyes began flooding her mind, she couldn't think straight as she screamed in mental anguish. A small opening in the clouds formed beneath her feet as Lapis fell through it, poofing as she fell.

End of Chapter 


	6. End The Haunting

Out of the bathroom came a glowing white disfigured mangled figure, wearing a lab coat and a stethoscope. "I don't believe it, there is a ghost" Garnet said. "Pre-pos-ter-ous, that is clearly a man in a mask wearing white luminescent bodypaint" Professor What scoffed "here, watch!" The Professor took out a thermos and splashed water on the ghost, the water went right through the ghost's body. The Professor was in complete disbelief."It happened again..." The Professor stuttered "Run!" Everyone ran from the ghost, which chased the group down the hallway. "Get...out!" The Ghost wailed. "Quick, that way, it won't follow us into that room!" Garnet ordered. Everyone headed towards a classroom and closed the door behind them.

They all looked at the eerie light of the ghost from behind the door, all of the sudden the light disappeared. "Is everyone alright?" The Professor asked. Everyone nodded, still shaking. "Professor, you said earlier that you faced a similar situation to this before, tell us how you defeated it, please" Garnet requested. "Well yes I have encountered a similar situation, but that ghost was tangible, this one isn't, it's the very definition of a ghost...me and a couple of companions managed to defeat the ghost at Queens Park by figuring out it had lost something important to it, so we gave it back...maybe if we try communicating with it, we can solve it's problem and by extension the school's problem!" The Professor concluded.

"But Professor, according to your detail of whom the ghost might be of, he was a psychotic doctor who performed unethical experiments" Selena said "what if his demands are sadistic." "A very good question young lady, perhaps we could-Oh dear!" The Professor exclaimed, averting his gaze out of embarrassment. "Wh-what!? Is the ghost here!?" Selena asked. "You...forgot something in the bathroom" Garnet said. Selena looked down and immediately shrieked in embarrassment, covering herself. She quickly ran behind a teacher's desk. "I-I was on the toilet when the ghost appeared over me, I must have fell out of my pants when I tripped" Selena said. 

"Alright, Professor, you're the expert, you try and talk to the ghost, Selena, I'll go back the bathroom and find your pants, Rose, keep an eye on Selena" Garnet ordered. "Oh, I'll keep both eyes on her, Auntie Garnet" Rose said, leering at Selena behind the desk. "Rose, this is hardly the time or the place!" Selena snapped. "Awww..." Rose pouted. 

Out in the hallway, Garnet and Professor What investigated up and down the hallways. "Why isn't the ghost showing up, first it was gung-ho about chasing us, we go into a classroom, it doesn't follow us and now it won't show up again..." Professor What pondered. "Perhaps the ghost is summoned by anyone who uses this washroom" Garnet suggested. "This ghost sounds like a pervert..." The Professor said. "That does sound like a more possible theory, but I think there's more to this bathroom than just as a place for female humans and those who identify as such to relieve themselves" Garnet suggested. "You mean to imply that this bathroom hides a secret dating back to when it was a psychiatric hospital?" "Bingo."

"Professor, let's go in there, you're the expert" Garnet said. "You want me to go in there? Garnet I'm sorry, but due to the kindness of a female human friend of mine, I'm afraid I've gained too much respect for women to go in there, even if I am sexless under this fleshsuit I am wearing" The Professor said. "That's very honourable of you, but I think this situation calls for you to abandon that philosophy for right now" Garnet said. "You're right, no time to be squeamish, let's go!" The Professor said confidently, kicking the door open. The Door however did not close. "Hmm...I had heard this particular bathroom doesn't close immediately after opening, I think there may be something wrong with the hydraulic door closer" The Professor said "Garnet, be a dear and give me a boost will you?" Garnet lifted up the professor so that he could see the door closer. "This thing has a device on it" The Professor said. Just then the door closed. "Ah, a timed delay device" Professor What said "This explains why the door closes funny, but why would anyone put something like that there?" "Well I better get Selena her pants" Garnet said, opening the bathroom door. "Garnet, look!" The Professor said, pointing down. "There is a wire on the ceiling, coming from that toilet booth" The Professor pointed out.

The Professor got on the floor and crawled under the door to the toilet booth. "The Wire was painted the same colour as the booth's wall within the booth, and there also appears to be small pressure activated switch..." The Professor deduced "Garnet, open the door now!" Garnet did as she was told and a lightbulb lit up and the ghost appeared. The Ghost was looking down, and floated slowly out of the booth and into the door and immediately disappeared. "A hologram, and judging by the technology, this was installed fifteen years ago...and had little tune ups here and there" The Professor pondered "and the ghosts actions must have been preprogrammed, and they relied on the door being opened, particularly by a frightened victim, but because we didn't do any of that...the program canceled itself."

"So somebody planted that ghost" Garnet said "somebody wants to scare people." "This also means that there is no ghost at all" The Professor stated "now let's trace this wire to its source." "I'm way ahead of you, it seems to be coming from the basement" Garnet said, pointing at the hole in the floor. "So many female students use these bathroom, how on earth did they not notice this?" The Professor pondered. "No time to figure that out, we got to tell the girls" Garnet said.

Garnet went back to the classroom Rose and Selena were hiding in and explained what they found out. "What!? You're saying this is all part of an elaborate prank!?" Rose exclaimed. "But you said the technology was fifteen years old, but the journal Rose found was from twenty four years ago" Selena pointed out. "Yes, I do believe the rumours of this school being haunted may predate this current situation, I deduce that somebody may have decided to make these rumours into reality, but for what reason?" The Professor pondered. "I believe I may already know who did it, follow me" Garnet suggested.

Back into the basement, Garnet kicked down the door to the boiler room. The Principal shrieked in horror. "What? What happened?" Principal Franklin squirmed. "You. Please tell everyone why you installed those machines in the girl's bathroom." Garnet requested. "I don't know what you're talking about" The Principal said dismissively. "Nice try, but it's the safe wasn't it?" Professor What asked. "The Safe!? Who told you about it?" The Principal demanded. "Gotcha" Garnet said. The Principal covered his mouth, realizing he just gave away the secret. "What's going on here, Auntie Garnet?" Rose asked. "It's simple, The Professor was thorough when he was researching this school's history, he learned of the secret safe that the doctor who ran the psychiatric hospital that was here before, this safe contained untold riches" Garnet explained "he wasn't kicked out of his mother's house, his mother was long deceased, he was trying to scare people away from the school so he could find it undisturbed." "That's right, and I could have used that money to finally pay off my gambling debts, I practically emptied the school's coffers just to pay off have of it" The Principal said "and I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids, that fraudulent librarian and that gem!"

And so, Garnet made the principal call the school superintendent and tell the truth, needless to say, by the time morning came, the process of his firing had begun.

End of chapter 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Next Chapter will be delayed until next Tuesday, I'll be up at the cottage until then, I have a personal rule against using the internet on vacation.


	7. Blonde Lapis's Hidden Side

Lapis emerged from her gem around 11:00 am. Blonde Lapis had been waiting for her to emerge, sitting on a cushion and sipping tea. "You lied" Blonde Lapis said, taking another slurp of tea. "Huh? What do you mean? When did I lie to you?" Lapis asked. "Not to me, to yourself" Blonde Lapis said. Judging by the look Lapis was giving her, it appeared to Blonde Lapis that she needed to explain further "You told me you were ready for this training, you clearly weren't, but you had subconsciously convinced yourself that you were, it even fooled me" Blonde Lapis explained "I had suspected it was too soon for you to undergo this training, I guess it was wrong of me to except you as a student at this time, so the blame in this situation goes to me" 

"What are you talking about?" Lapis asked. "I had told you from the very beginning that this training requires absolute mental preparation, to not let emotions cloud your perception" Blonde Lapis said. "You said it was okay to feel emotions" Lapis argued. "Yes, it is okay to feel emotions, but it is not okay to have your mind dominated by emotions, which yours clearly has" Blonde Lapis said. "What? No it hasn't, I'm just shaken up...that's all" Lapis said. "Oh, is that so?" Blonde Lapis said, as she drew up a huge ball of water from the nearby river and snapped her fingers. "Look upon this without being afraid, and I'll be convinced" The ball of water turned into ice instantly, then began carving itself into an ice sculpture of GKG 001. The sight of it had rendered Lapis catatonic "AAAH! NOOO!" She cried. "Just as I thought" Blonde Lapis said "I must apologize for training you when you weren't ready?" 

Lapis was insulted by that remark "You think it's so easy? You weren't there!" Lapis shouted. "See? Quick to anger, getting defensive, typical symptoms of a mind dominated by fear" Blonde Lapis said, taking another sip of tea. "Oh that's so easy for you to say, you've never been afraid before, you're too overpowered to be afraid of anything, you've never seen any friends die, because you can't see at all!" Lapis ranted, unaware of the dark clouds gathering overhead, Blonde Lapis said nothing. "You can't even begin to understand these feelings of powerlessness, because you never were! So what right have you to tell me off! You have no idea what I've been through!" Just then, Lapis noticed that Blonde Lapis's tea mug had exploded, with a cylinder of frozen tea hitting the grass. She looked up and noticed the dark storm clouds over them.

Blonde Lapis let out one breath and the clouds dispersed. It was at that point Lapis realized that she may have struck nerve on her, she had a feeling that if Blonde Lapis hadn't controlled her temper, what could have happened next would have been catastrophic. "I think you should leave, right now" Blonde Lapis said. Lapis flew off, not wanting to test the water any further, no pun intended. Blonde Lapis then gasped, suddenly hyperventilating. "What was that? I nearly lost my temper there...it has been millions of years since the last time..." Blonde Lapis said "I broke my favourite mug too..."

* * *

Peridot noticed Lapis returning. "Lapis, are you okay? How did the training go?" Peridot asked. Lapis said nothing. "Lapis?" "I think I made my teacher angry..." Lapis moped. "Jeez to piss off our Lapis lazuli, you must have screwed up big time" A voice added in. Both Peridot and Lapis turned to see Don Ruby. Lapis explained exactly what had went down on the farm. "You said that? You second generations really are young" Don Ruby said "our lapis has been through a lot of similar things to what you have, trust me, that giant robot is nothing compared to the Primal Diamonds" "Primal Diamonds?" Lapis and Peridot asked. "Come to my office, I'll explain everything in there" Don Ruby said.

At The Lounge, Lapis and Peridot sat at Don Ruby's desk. "It was when us first gens first emerged, The Diamonds were very different when they first emerged" Don Ruby began "their forms were beast-like apparitions, very ill defined, but that raw power...it was nothing to sneeze at that's for sure, eventually, their forms finally fully rendered into what we see now. First Generations like me, Lapis, most of my associates lived in fear of them, they were like a hundred really bad storms at once, Primal Blue Diamond, who's form resembled the silhouette of an earth porpoise, dampened the abilities of first gen lapis's, they couldn't see her coming, they were all blind, and the winds hid the sound of her approaching, but our Lapis, she stood up to her, she let her anger loose, unleashing a storm to counter her's. Our Lapis produced a storm that engulfed Homeworld, she's the reason liquid wasn't allowed in the Diamond Palace, her power was recognized by the Diamonds as they are now, it had earned her the nickname, Storm Goddess. She was sent to terraform planets, but her blindness caused her to cause collateral damage to construction projects on early colony with her powers, it was long before she learned to see with water molecules."

"I had no idea..." Lapis said "I guess I won't be getting anymore lessons from her" "Hey, look, she ain't the type to hold grudges, just give her some space for now" Don Ruby assured her "she'll come around." "I hope so" Lapis said.

* * *

Rose returned home and kissed Selena goodbye. "So, what were you and Garnet up to last night?" Connie asked. "Oh, we were investigating the mysteries in this journal" Rose explained. "Oh my goodness, I can't believe you found this" Connie commented "I planted this in the library as a prank when I was in high school." Rose said nothing for a few moments until finally "WHAAAAT!?" "Yeah, I was reading up on the history of my school and thought it'd be funny to make up some rumours, and use some of the rumours left by old students to really convince people the school was haunted, I even made up a phoney story about there being a lost safe full of unknown riches" Connie explained. Rose was stunned, this was a side of her mother she had not known. "Well, you fooled your old principal, Connie" Garnet said. "No way, seriously?! That's hilarious, I've got to tell Steven about this, he's the one who came up with the idea of the safe after all" Connie said, laughing. "No way, Dad was in on this too!?" Rose exclaimed "I can't believe my parents caused this kind of mischief." "Well believe it, you are their daughter, after all" Garnet commented 

The End 


End file.
